THE PRESIDENT: I've asked the members of Congress to come up so
that members of my administration can keep the leadership up-to-date as
the war to liberate Iraq and to remove weapons of mass destruction out
of Iraq proceeds. The military briefings, of course, will continue to
be given out of the Pentagon. Secretary Rumsfeld will be briefing this
afternoon.

I also really want to thank members of Congress, both House
members, Senate members, members of both political parties, for the
strong resolutions that came off the floor of their respective bodies,
resolutions which said loud and clear, our country supports the men and
women in uniform. Not only do we support those brave souls who are
sacrificing on our behalf, but we want to thank their parents and their
families for their dedication, as well.

As Secretary Rumsfeld said, we're making progress. We will stay on
task until we've achieved our objective, which is to rid Iraq of
weapons of mass destruction, and free the Iraqi people so they can live
in a society that is hopeful and democratic and at peace in its
neighborhood.

All of us involved here in Washington are extremely proud of the
skill and bravery of our young Americans who are willing to sacrifice
for something greater than themselves.

So it's my honor to welcome the members here. We will continue to
keep them briefed as this war progresses. And I want to thank them for
the unity, the message of unity. Thank you all for coming.

Q Is Saddam dead or alive, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: Secretary Rumsfeld will be briefing today.

Q Do you want to give us any details, as the
Commander-in-Chief, of how things are going?